Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-07-21
Develope Our Resources.

MR.. EDITOR: It is an old saying:
"The world was not made in a day. ,
Patience is needed for the full develop
ment of anything. A large number OF
persons are incapable of waiting; they
draw hasty conclusions and pronounce
on future possibilities before sufficient
time has been allowed for experiment and
proof. This territory has been hastily
settled n on prima facie evidence that it
would raise wheat, and be favorable for
stock raising and grazing purposes. With
these ideas, men have settled down de-
pending on the one or the other, for their
products. Men have speculated on the
possibility of raising other things but
have not depended on them for support
and hence their experiments have not
been patiently pursued Conclusions
have been hastily drawn adversely to the
capability of the soil and the climate. It
is nevertheless probable that after the
soil has been turned over and over and
exposed to the sun, and air in summer,
and the snow in winter for some years, it
may lose some chemical qualities, and
gain others which in its virgin state it did
not possess. It is not unlikely that in a
few years capabilities will be developed
that are not yet apparent, and as it has
been in other new countries, it will be
found in this, possible to cultivate and
raise that which at present is considered
unadapted to the soil and climate. Hardy
varieties of apples and other fruits will
some day be raised here, and supply our
tables with that, for which we now have
to send away our money to obtain. The
climate and physical construction of the
country may be already certainly known;
it's future possibilities however have yet
to be developed. The want of wood and
fuel may seem to make certain classes OF
manufacturing impossible. Yet substi-
tutes may be found for wood and the
capabilities of the country for fuel and
other mineral products have not yet been
thoroughly tested. We cannot expect
large towns where there is no manu-
featuring, where everything is brought to
us ready made from distance. Where
towns are small there is but little en-
couragement to farmers and others to
provide domestic supplies, hence there is
employment for only small population.
After the first start, often made by boom,
towns and villages may remain without
anything of the city about them but the
name for long term of years. The only
way out of stunted condition is a de-
termination on the part Of the citizens TO
develope all our home resources, and
make what ever may be made here, and
raise whatever we want in our own neigh
borhood, SO far as practicable. The want
of water power and cheap fuel for steam
must, if possible, be overcome. There is
large surplus power wasted in Dakota
winds. These will be some day utilized
to far greater extent than they are at
present, and applied to larger variety
Of uses. It cannot be possible that the
ingenuity for which the real American is
so Justly celebrated will forever fail to
make larger use of the power now wasted.
This. however,must all be awork of time;
but no impatience should be shown in
developing our resources. All should
keep the matter before them, and each
should study how in anything we may
begin to be independent of other places
further east. The croaker at once res
ponds, ''1t is no use trying, we cannot
compete with longer settled countries"
Those who never try, never expect any
thing. Those who never begin, never ac-
complish anything. Cannot is a
hindrance to progress 1t is time to dis
cover what can be done here, and do it.